Before Michael Brown Jr. became an international symbol of racialized police violence, he was an 18-year-old who cracked jokes, made music and planned for his future. Here, a deeply personal reflection by his dad on the fifth anniversary of his killing.

On August 9, 2014 Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson fatally shot an unarmed Black 18-year-old named Michael Brown. Ashley Yates was on the ground organizing during the uprising that followed. In this Q&A, writer, activist and artist Ashley Yates talks about facing militarized police daily, healing from burnout, and where the movement should go from here.